Memento
by Ruthie
Summary: Sam's suffering from amnesia and Jack and Janet are avoiding her, along with the rest of the base - but why?
1. Default Chapter

Title: Memento   
  
Feedback: jm-webmistress@fsmail.net  
  
Rating: R (Violence, Mild Language)  
  
Spoilers: None  
  
Summary: Sam's suffering from amnesia and Jack and Janet are avoiding her. Why?  
  
Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.  
  
Details: Angst, Jack/Janet, Hurt/Comfort, Sam/Teal'c friendship, Future Story  
  
Archive: My site, Heliopolis, Gateworld, Fanfiction.net, SG1hc  
  
~ Memento ~  
  
Copyright © Ruth, 2003  
  
**********  
  
"General Hammond, sir! Incoming wormhole, unknown source!"  
  
Hammond looked straight ahead and his jaw clenched. There was always the chance that a member of his team had been stranded offworld without their GDO, in desperate need of help. There was also the chance that the Goa'uld were on the other side, just waiting for the chance to strike at the heart of the Tau'ri base.   
  
He sighed, and slammed his fist down on the table.  
  
"Open it," he said.  
  
"B…but sir," Sergeant Davis stammered…"I…"  
  
At that moment, a very pregnant Janet Fraiser entered the control room and looked anxiously around her.  
  
"What's going on?" she asked.  
  
"Doctor, please go back outside," Hammond said gently.  
  
"What are you doing?" Colonel O'Neill asked, standing behind Janet and placing a reassuring arm on her shoulder.  
  
"I'm going to open it," Hammond said determinedly, "Sergeant, open the iris or I'll do it myself."  
  
"Yes, sir," Sergeant Davis said, his hand reaching for the pressure pad that opened the iris. Jack's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist before he could press it.  
  
"Colonel O'Neill, stand down!" Hammond roared angrily. Jack's hand refused to budge.  
  
"What are you doing, General?" Jack asked, "This could be a Goa'uld attack!"  
  
"It could be Major Carter," Hammond said softly, looking out at the gate.  
  
"WHAT?" Jack exploded, "You always told me not to…"  
  
"She's gone, General," Janet said, "Please - just accept that she's gone."  
  
"I'm sorry, doctor," Hammond said, "But I've just…I've just got a feeling…Open it, Sergeant."  
  
Reluctantly, Sergeant Davis opened the iris. As it slid open, Hammond held his breath. Airmen rushed into the gateroom with their guns and weaponry, crouching in defensive positions. They all waited with baited breath.  
  
Janet shrank back into Jack's arms. He held her tightly - it was no use telling her to leave, she wouldn't anyway.  
  
The gate was still for a few seconds, and then a lone figure emerged from it. She was clad in black combat gear, with long sleeves and her black combat boots. There was a rip in the left shoulder of the shirt, but she appeared otherwise unharmed.  
  
It was Sam.  
  
Slowly, she took in the airmen around her who had not lowered their weapons, and she raised her hands carefully in the air. Her eyes also rose up to the control room where she took in the appearance of her friends. General Hammond, proud and strong, Jack O'Neill, with…with his arms around her very pregnant best friend.  
  
She swallowed, and lowered her eyes again, waiting for Hammond to call off the airmen.  
  
"Stand down. Medical team to the gateroom," Hammond said, over the intercom. She lowered her hands, and concentrated on stopping the tears that were burning at the backs of her eyes. Jack and Janet? Surely not…I mean…how long had she been gone?  
  
She stepped down roughly off of the ramp and looked around her with sore eyes. Nothing looked much different - the same marks on the wall where staff blasts had once landed, the same colours on the doors and the same uniforms on the airmen. If nothing had changed, then why did she feel like such a stranger?   
  
How long had she been gone, and why? The look on Jack's face had not told her good news - he was clearly not expecting her to return.  
  
Where had she been?  
  
She put a hand to her throbbing temple and bit back a groan. Her hand came away sticky with blood. That was probably the reason that she was unable to remember anything. Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the medical team, who were soon ushering her back to the infirmary.  
  
**********  
  
Thankfully, the infirmary had not moved floors or changed much since she'd last been there. It had the same dreary walls, the same smell of medicated soap and…hospital and the same doctors moved around quietly in the same uniforms. She sat down on the nearest bed to her and patiently waited whilst an obviously new doctor carried out a brief examination. She closed her eyes and swallowed hard as a wave of nausea washed over her.  
  
Just as she opened her eyes, she saw General Hammond walk in, with Teal'c behind him. The jaffa's face broke into a gentle smile as he saw her.  
  
"Major Carter, my dear friend," he said, giving her a small bow, "It is most good to see you again. You have been missed."  
  
"Thanks, Teal'c," she replied, "Uh…"  
  
One of the doctors rolled up her sleeve and gave a short gasp of surprise. Her arm was marred with a long scar that stretched from her bicep down to her pulse point. Several small scratches adorned her arm around the scar.   
  
General Hammond frowned. "Major, how did you?…"  
  
Sam swallowed again, as one of the doctors began to draw blood from her vein.  
  
"I…I don't know, sir. I can't remember."  
  
"You can't remember?" Hammond asked, "Do you know what day it is, Major?"  
  
Sam shook her head miserably. "How long have I been away?" she asked, "It's all…gone."  
  
"You were last seen heading out with SG-1 on a mission on March 3rd, 2002. It's now September 28th, 2010."  
  
"2010?" Sam echoed in disbelief, "But…I…"  
  
Hammond came closer to her as a couple of nurses attempted to lay her down on the bed.   
  
"Enough, now, Major," he said, "Just get some rest - we'll talk more when you're feeling more like yourself."  
  
Sam was about to argue when she realised that she was not in a position to do so.   
  
"Yes, sir," she murmured, and tried to ignore the nurses that fussed around her.  
  
**********  
  
As Hammond lead the way out into the corridor, Teal'c stopped him.  
  
"General, why are Colonel O'Neill and Janet Fraiser not here?" Teal'c asked, "They should be welcoming her return."  
  
Hammond shook his head. "It's not that simple, Teal'c. A lot of water has gone under the bridge since Sam was last here - and if she really can't remember what happened to her…"  
  
"Then we are indeed in an unenviable situation," Teal'c concluded.   
  
"Yes, Teal'c," Hammond said. "I think it's best if we leave her to rest, see if she can remember anything."  
  
"General, the marks on her arm were most disconcerting. I do not believe that she has had an enjoyable time of the past 8 years."  
  
"I know, Teal'c," Hammond replied. "Hopefully the doctors will be able to shed some light on that. It's their job, and we'd best leave them to it. Goodnight."  
  
Teal'c bowed his head. "Goodnight, General Hammond."  
  
Then, he went in search of Colonel O'Neill and Janet Fraiser, still unable to comprehend their behaviour.  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
Author Notes: So, what do you think? Any good? Got any ideas? Please feel free to send feedback. 


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Memento - part 2  
  
Rating: R (Violence, Mild Language)  
  
Spoilers: None  
  
Summary: Jack and Janet try to come to terms with Sam's return, and Teal'c and Sam talk about her memory loss.  
  
Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.  
  
Details: Angst, Jack/Janet, Hurt/Comfort, Sam/Teal'c friendship, Future Story  
  
Archive: My site, Heliopolis, Gateworld, Fanfiction.net  
  
~ Memento - part 2~  
  
Copyright © Ruth, 2003  
  
**********  
  
Janet sobbed quietly into Jack's shoulder, as he rubbed gentle circles on her back.  
  
"Oh…Jack," she said, between sobs, "I thought…I thought she was dead…I've been telling myself that she's dead, but now, she-"  
  
"I know," Jack said softly, his lips brushing the top of her head, "I know."  
  
"Did you see her face?" Janet continued, "God, I've never…"  
  
Jack hushed her gently, stroking a lock of hair out of her eye, "Don't worry about her now. You just need to get some sleep."  
  
"But I can't!" Janet said, clutching the material of his shirt between her fingers, "I feel so…guilty…"  
  
"Why?" Jack asked gently, though he already knew the answer.  
  
"Because she loved you," Janet replied, "And now we're married - what's she supposed to think?"  
  
The door clicked shut behind her, and Teal'c stood there with his arms folded.  
  
"She currently has no memory of what happened to her," Teal'c said quietly, "So I would not concern yourself with that."  
  
"Jeez, Teal'c!" Jack said angrily, "Why didn't ya knock?"  
  
"Because I knew that you would not grant me permission to enter, O'Neill," Teal'c replied.  
  
"What do you want?" Jack snapped irritably.  
  
"I merely wanted to enquire why you did not greet Major Carter on her return."  
  
Jack sighed. "Teal'c, you wouldn't understand."  
  
The jaffa smarted a little at this comment. "General Hammond spoke of too much water under a bridge."  
  
Jack frowned. "Yeah, something like that. Look, could you please leave?"  
  
"As you wish," Teal'c said, bowing his head, "But though my knowledge of Tau'ri emotions is greatly lacking, your behaviour in this matter is beyond my comprehension."  
  
With that, he left and closed the door behind him. He returned to his own quarters and sat down quietly for a moment. Whilst he did not understand the behaviour of O'Neill and Dr Fraiser, he also did not understand General Hammond's reasons for opening the iris. How could he have 'just known?' It was not as if General Hammond was a jaffa fortune-teller or future-seer, far from it, but something must have affected the man's mind to make him react so strongly. Whilst pondering this, Teal'c entered a state of Kelno'reem, and tried to put the world to rights.  
  
**********  
  
The next morning, Sam awoke in the infirmary, none the wiser to her situation. Her head still ached, and she was constantly aware that a lot of people were nervous around her. They flinched whenever she made a sudden movement, they constantly acted nervous around her, and yet she hadn't even moved from her bed.   
  
What was going on?  
  
General Hammond entered and offered her a smile.  
  
"Hello, Major. How are you this morning?" he asked.  
  
"I…I don't remember much. It's all gone," she said softly. "I know something's happened, though, but nobody will tell me."  
  
She looked up at her commander, but he said nothing. She hadn't expected him to.  
  
"Major, I'd like to see you in my office when you've got up," he said, "Just to get a few things straightened out."  
  
"So…when will you be sending me to the shrink?" Sam asked.  
  
"Major, I made no mention of…" Hammond began, but she cut him off.  
  
"You didn't need to. Mala fide - in bad faith. I wasn't expecting a warm welcome, sir, but what I've got has been practically frigid."  
  
Hammond sighed. "Major, a lot has happened in the years that you've been away. I think you'll take it better from your friends."  
  
"That's just my problem, General," she said, "I don't appear to have any left."  
  
**********  
  
Jack was surprised when he received the summons to General Hammond's office. He'd not done anything particularly wrong or mouthy, he'd finished all of his reports (Janet kept him well up to date) and there wasn't even a base crisis.  
  
He knocked on the door, and Hammond called for him to enter.  
  
"Sit down, son," he said, gesturing to the empty chair.  
  
"General?" Jack asked, "I'm assuming that this is something serious that you want to talk to me about."  
  
"Yes. I've called Dr Jackson, he's on his way back here. Jack, what concerns me is that you've made no effort to even say hello to Major Carter."  
  
"Sir, it's difficult - she has no idea about what's gone on…"  
  
"Exactly," Hammond said gently. "Jack, she's been through a hell of a time these past eight years, and only she knows it. We have to help her to remember."  
  
"Yes, sir, but if you remember, she put us through a hell of a time before she left, didn't she?"  
  
Hammond sighed. "She doesn't remember it, son."  
  
"Doesn't remember? Or doesn't want to remember?" Jack snapped. "Listen, General, "  
  
"Jack, don't make me order you to talk to one of your own teammates."  
  
"She's not one of my teammates!" Jack shouted, "She stopped being one of my teammates the day she disappeared, the day we thought she was dead!"  
  
"Colonel!" Hammond shouted back, "No matter how long we spent thinking that she was dead, she's not. She is very much alive, and she's sitting in that infirmary right now feeling very confused!"  
  
"She's not the only one," Jack said, getting up out of his chair and leaving the room.  
  
Hammond sighed sadly, sinking back down into his chair. True, a lot of things had happened since 2002, but there was absolutely no need for him to be treating her like a leper.  
  
What was worrying him even more than this was her memory loss - she had absolutely no memory of the past eight years, which was going to be very problematic for her.  
  
**********  
  
Teal'c walked into the infirmary and gave Sam his biggest smile. In his hand he held a small bunch of flowers, which Sam was sure that she'd seen on display in the conference room. She grinned.  
  
"Hey, Teal'c."  
  
"Major Carter," he said, "It is good to see you well. I will soon accompany you to General Hammond's office."  
  
She smiled weakly. "I can remember where that is."  
  
Teal'c sat down beside her on the bed. "Hopefully, you will soon remember much about these past eight years."  
  
Sam shook her head. "I don't know, Teal'c. I mean, maybe it's better if I don't."  
  
He was quiet, then. After a few moments, he gently put his arm around her shoulders.  
  
"No matter how the other people on this base react," he said, "You must remember that I will always be your friend."  
  
Sam looked at him. "Teal'c, what have I done? Why won't anyone tell me?"  
  
Teal'c looked at her sadly. "Come with me - I will explain."  
  
**********  
  
"Since you have been gone, many things have changed," Teal'c began. "A year after you disappeared, Daniel Jackson left the SGC to go back to a career in archaeology. He is, however, on his way back here as we speak."  
  
He pushed the door to his room open and ushered Sam inside.   
  
"Have a seat," he said. She sat down, still eyeing him warily.  
  
"When you had been gone for five years, Colonel O'Neill and Doctor Fraiser were betrothed," Teal'c said bluntly.  
  
Sam sat quietly for a moment. "They're married? Why is everyone getting so upset about that?"  
  
"Doctor Fraiser is also with child," Teal'c explained. Sam swallowed, felt tears burning at the back of her eyes.  
  
"I understand that this must be hard for you to come to terms with," Teal'c began, "But…"  
  
Sam shook her head. "They're my friends. They can do whatever they want," she smiled, "It's nothing to do with me."  
  
"They have been anxious about greeting you for this reason," Teal'c said, "It is not because they fear you."  
  
She shook her head again, more seriously this time. "Veritas nunquam perit, Teal'c. The truth never dies. I know they're avoiding me because I've done something wrong, I just don't know what."  
  
Teal'c nodded. "When did you come to have such an understanding of the Latin language?"  
  
Sam blinked. "I spoke Latin?"  
  
Teal'c frowned. "Indeed you did, Major Carter. You said Veritas nunquam perit - the truth never dies."  
  
"Wow," she said, rubbing the back of her head, "I wonder when I learnt that…"  
  
**********  
  
Jack said goodbye to Janet and left the infirmary, making his way to Sam's lab. He hovered nervously outside of her door for a few moments, before knocking. There was no answer. Thankfully, he left the vicinity of her room and went in the opposite direction.  
  
Back at the infirmary, Janet was sat down, thinking. She really should have spoken to Sam by now, but couldn't face it. She couldn't shake the feeling that she'd betrayed her friend - even though poor Sam still didn't know what had been going on for the past eight years.  
  
She closed her eyes, and leant back in her chair. In effect, she'd stolen her best friend's man. Ok, so they weren't married, they weren't even dating, but Janet knew deep in her heart that Sam had always harboured a deep affection for her commanding officer, one that was too deep considering their ranks. For years she had carried that burden around with her, hoping that one day the two of them would be able to be together.  
  
But no, fate stepped in and pulled the rug from under her feet. Janet and Jack were now married, with their first child on the way. So much had changed in just eight years.  
  
She decided that talking to her friend would be the best option, she at least deserved a welcome back. Janet was just worried that Sam would reject her offer of friendship - though she would be well within her rights.  
  
She got up out of the chair slowly and made her way out of the infirmary, heading for Sam's lab.  
  
**********  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
**********  
  
Next time: Janet and Sam talk about the time Sam has missed - and Dr McKenzie gets involved. 


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Memento - part 3  
  
Rating: R (Violence, Mild Language)  
  
Spoilers: None  
  
Summary: Sam and Janet talk about the time Sam has missed, and Dr McKenzie gets involved.   
  
Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.  
  
Details: Angst, Jack/Janet, Hurt/Comfort, Sam/Teal'c friendship, Future Story  
  
Archive: Heliopolis, Gateworld, Fanfiction.net  
  
Memento - part 3   
  
Copyright © Ruth, 2003  
  
Sam left General Hammond's office with mixed feelings. He'd told her only that nothing of importance had happened since she'd been gone, and that he'd booked her an appointment with Dr McKenzie that afternoon. She got the distinct feeling that she was being avoided, as well, because on her journey to the office, the corridors had been conspicuously empty, though she knew very well that many officers were stationed there.  
  
Her heart was beginning to ache. There was still no word from either Jack or Janet, and she was feeling increasingly left out. Hopefully, with Dr McKenzie's help, she would be able to remember what had happened to her, but until then nobody would tell her anything. What she missed most of all was Jack - she missed the way that he was able to make her laugh, able to relax her with just one sentence, able to make her smile with just the twinkle of his eyes. She knew that was something she probably wouldn't have again, and it broke her heart.  
  
She opened the door of her lab and was surprised to see Janet inside, with her back to her.  
  
"Janet?" she asked, wondering why she was there.  
  
"Sam," Janet smiled, "Oh, God, it's so good to see you."   
  
She came over to Sam and put her arms awkwardly around her. Sam accepted the hug, but when she tried to touch Janet she flinched under her hand and pulled away. Sam swallowed, and decided not to mention it.  
  
"Why didn't you come and see me yesterday?" Sam asked, trying to keep the hurt from her voice.  
  
"I was tired," Janet said, "I could barely keep my eyes open - I'm sorry, Sam, I just…"  
  
Sam waved her hand in the air dismissively. "It's fine, Janet. You need rest, in your condition."  
  
"Uh…yeah…about that," Janet began, knotting her hands together.  
  
"Congratulations," Sam said, with a smile, "You'll make a great mother."  
  
"Y-what? You really mean that?" Janet asked in disbelief.  
  
"Of course I mean it," Sam replied, "I wouldn't have said it otherwise. You deserve it - both of you."  
  
Janet's face fell again. "How did you…?"  
  
"I saw you in the control room together, and then Teal'c told me. I don't know why everyone is making such a fuss, really," she lied. Inside, her heart was breaking.  
  
"Oh, Sam, I'm so glad! I thought you'd be really mad, what with me…taking Jack away from you."  
  
"Janet," Sam said softly, "He was never mine to lose."  
  
"But I know that the two of you have always been close," Janet went on, "I feel so terrible…"  
  
"Don't," Sam said reassuringly, "You and Jack deserve to be happy together. I hope you will be."  
  
"Sam," Janet smiled tearfully, "Those words mean more to me than you will ever know."  
  
"Come here," Sam said, pulling her friend into a gentle hug. As she felt Janet lean against her, a tear rolled out of one of her eyes. She swallowed, and forced back the tears that threatened to spill. Now was not the time to appear weak, sad, and desperate. Janet had actually come to her, and she wasn't about to ruin the moment.  
  
"I'm sorry," Janet sniffed, "I keep crying all of the time, no reason at all…"  
  
Sam smiled. "Don't worry about it. How far along are you?"  
  
"Eight months," Janet said, "Nearly nine."  
  
"Wow," Sam said, trying not to make her voice sound like a croak, "You're nearly there, Jan."  
  
"Yeah," she said, standing up. "I'll see you soon, Sam," she smiled, leaving the room as quickly as she had entered.  
  
As soon as Janet had gone, Sam closed the door behind her with a reassuring click. She took a deep breath, and gulped back a sob that threatened to come from her throat. She went over to her desk and sat down, feeling the familiar surface under her fingers. For a moment, she persuaded herself that she was fine, that everything would be all right. This only lasted for a matter of seconds. She sniffed, and began to cry, her head slumping down onto the desk and her body shaking with grief.  
  
Sam woke up with a start to realise that she had just ten minutes until her appointment with Dr McKenzie.   
  
Wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her BDU's, she made an effort to contain herself, to make herself look more presentable. It wouldn't do for McKenzie to see her in a state of hysteria before they had even had their first session together.  
  
Ten minutes later, she stood outside of the psychiatrist's door, a feeling of dread mounting within her. She raised a heavy hand and knocked three times on the door.   
  
"Come inside," McKenzie replied, and Sam entered the room for what was set to be an hour of certain doom.  
  
   
  
   
  
Once inside, Sam chose the chair that was possibly the farthest away from Dr McKenzie as she could possibly manage and sat down in it, curling her fingers together and avoiding his gaze.  
  
"Major, it may interest you to know that before you have even spent five seconds in this room, I have been able to gauge a large amount of information from your movement and gestures."  
  
"Yes, thank you," Sam replied sarcastically, "Could we please get on with it?"  
  
"What exactly do you think is going to go on at this meeting?" McKenzie questioned, looking at Sam over the top of his small glasses.  
  
"Well, I'm hoping that you're gonna tell me why the hell everyone is avoiding me on base, because I certainly can't remember and nobody will tell me."  
  
"Who has been avoiding you?" McKenzie asked.  
  
"J…Colonel O'Neill, Doctor Fraiser, basically everyone I knew before…back in 2002."  
  
"Your memory loss interests me, Major Carter. You see, with ordinary memory loss, it is either short-term or long-term - you can either remember everything up to a certain point, or nothing at all. Your memory loss seems to be right in the middle of your life, with a gap of just eight years. This leads me to believe that the memory loss was a deliberate action by whoever took you prisoner these last few years."  
  
Sam nodded her head. He was making sense so far.   
  
"There are many ways that we can go about this, Major, and I'm not sure how you wish to begin. One of the methods I saw that was quite successful in the Gulf was hypno-regression. Have you ever tried this before?"  
  
"Yes, back when we thought that Daniel had been killed," Sam said.  
  
McKenzie smirked. "And which particular incident was that?"  
  
"I…uh…the first one…after Abydos," Sam continued, without paying attention to McKenzie's joke.   
  
"And how effective was it to you then?" McKenzie questioned.  
  
"It worked very well, actually," Sam admitted.  
  
"Very well, Major, if you're happy with this course of action, I'd like to proceed immediately. You take all the time you need, as I have no other appointments today."  
  
"Not a popular guy, huh?" Sam asked, with a small smile.  
  
"Well, then it looks like we have something in common," McKenzie shot back.  
  
"I'd like you to close your eyes, and think back to the last time that you were in the gate room with SG-1, in 2002. Are you there? Good. Now, tell me what you see."  
  
"We're preparing to go through the gate to…"  
  
"The name of the planet doesn't matter, Major, please continue."  
  
"We went through the gate and came out of the other side on the planet. Colonel O'Neill ordered me to go with Daniel to find some mineral samples, and then try and help Daniel with the translation of some ancient runes."  
  
"And what happened next?" McKenzie asked.  
  
"We…uh…oh, God!"  
  
"What is happening, Major?" McKenzie asked again, leaning forwards on his chair.  
  
"We're…uh…we're under fire!" Sam said, her fingers digging into the material of the chair, "It's a group of Jaffa…about five of them."  
  
"What are they doing, Major?" He asked.  
  
"They're firing at us, they - Daniel's taken a hit. He's on the ground. One of the jaffa is coming over to me, he's got his staff weapon raised."  
  
"And?…"  
  
"I..I surrender, I put my gun down. He's turning around to talk to one of the others. He…oh…he's got a symbiote in his hands…"  
  
Her fingernails dug further into the soft leather of the chair.   
  
"Keep going, Major," McKenzie said softly.  
  
"He's coming closer to me…I turn around and start to run away, but one of the others trips me up with his staff weapon. I'm lying flat on the ground next to Daniel, then they…"  
  
"Major?" McKenzie pressed, as she let out a cry of pain.  
  
"Agh!" She sat up abruptly from the chair, breathing heavily.  
  
"Major, what did you see?" McKenzie asked.  
  
"They…oh, I'm sorry, could you please give me a minute?"  
  
"Of course," McKenzie replied, going over to the water cooler and pouring Sam a cup, taking it back over to her. So now she'd found out what had happened to her at the start of the missing eight years, but she still had a way to go.  
  
As he looked at her, he felt a wave of sympathy. She looked very scared, and he very much doubted that the worst was over for her yet.  
  
"Are you feeling any better?" he asked.  
  
"Mmm," Sam replied, taking another sip of the water and clenching her shaking hands together.  
  
"Can you tell me what happened?"  
  
"They…pulled the shirt off of me, and…I could feel the symbiote on my back…"  
  
"They infested you?" McKenzie asked, trying to cut the agony off a little shorter.  
  
"Yes," Sam said brokenly.  
  
"Major, we don't have to continue any further with this if you feel that you are not able…"  
  
"No, that on its own isn't enough to make people stop talking to me - they're used to it by now. No. I need to find out what really happened before I disappeared."  
  
"Very well," McKenzie said, settling back into his chair. "When you're ready."  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
Next time: McKenzie takes Sam deeper into her subconscious in an attempt to discover what really happened to her during the eight years she was missing.   
  
Author Note: Sorry it took so long! Please send your feedback to jm-webmistressfsmail.net 


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